Collisional Interactions of Low Temperature Ice Milliparticles with Spacecraft at Speeds Up To 120 m/s
Abstract
There is scant data on collisions between spacecraft and small ice particles at low (<100K) temperatures and impact speeds of order 100 m/s. These conditions are believed to characterize potential space missions to comets, icy moons, and ring systems. This collisional phenomenology is relevant to fly-by capture and return of samples from planetary targets, and landing on icy surfaces. Previous efforts in the area of ice particle impact response have addressed ~3 mm diameter ice spheres near the elastic/inelastic transition speed, ~10 m/s (Higa et al, 1998). The present work describes development of specially designed experiments to enable imaging of the fragmentation behavior of 3 mm diameter (nominal) ice spheres at significantly greater impact speeds (~20 - 120 m/s) and normal (0°) and glancing (30°, 45° and 60°) impacts for the first time. The imaging of the high speed impacts was achieved through precise synchronization of an ice particle dispenser, a rotating polished aluminum alloy impact surface representing the spacecraft, and a high-speed camera. Individual video frames reveal the motion of both the larger impact fragments as well as the average motion of the clouds of small fragments that are generated by the spacecraft-ice impacts. This new experimental capability can be used to help design future planetary missions to icy bodies. Ice particle impacts at 120 m/s with surface at 60 degree angle.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.P41E1964G
- Keywords:
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- 6020 PLANETARY SCIENCES: COMETS AND SMALL BODIES Ices;
- 5422 PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS Ices;
- 5759 PLANETARY SCIENCES: FLUID PLANETS Rings and dust